Globular Cluster M2 . ... Credit Copyright: D. Williams, N. A. Sharp , AURA , NOAO , NSF Explanation: Beneath the south pole of our Milky Way Galaxy lies a ball of over 100,000 stars. M2, the second object on Charles Messier 's eighteenth century list of bright diffuse sky objects , is known as a globular cluster, and orbits the center of our Galaxy like nearly 200 other globular clusters left over from the early days of our universe. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...